Patten



Patented June 10, 1952 UNITED STATES PATEN'' OFFICE PATTEN John V. Beveridge, Oaklad, Calif.

Application September 12, 1949, Serial No. 115,133

1 claim. 1

This invention relates to an improvement in foot gear and particularly to foot gear such as platform soles, pattens, chopines, clogs, sandals, zoris, getas and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a sole of the foregoing character which can be manufactured from stiff materials, such as molded thermo-plastics, and nevertheless manifest the rocking motion of the conventional leather sole.

Another object of the invention is to provide foot gear of the foregoing character which is light in weight in spite of its thickness.

A further object of the invention is to provide foot gear of the foregoing character which insulates the foot of the wearer from extreme temperatures existant in the surface upon which the wearer is walking.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate two species of the applicant's foot gear and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one species of foot gear;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the foot gear shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; l

Fig. 5 is a vertical medial longitudinal sectional view of another species of foot gear;

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a view in elevation showing the foot gear of the applicant resting upon a walking surface as when the wearer is standing station- 'ig. 8 is a view in elevation of the foot gear illustrated in Fig. '7 showing how the foot gear rocks when the wearer engages in movement such as walking.

The species of foot gear disclosed in Figs. 1 to 4, both inclusive comprises a body portion I preferably made of a durable molded thermosetting plastic material. The upper surface 2 of the body portion l is shaped to fit the foot of the wearer. The upper surface 2 is-provided with a toe portion 3, a ball portion 4 for the ball of the foot of the wearer, a heel portion 5 for the heel of the foot of the wearer and a shank portion 6 beneath the instep of the foot of the wearer and intermediate the ball portion 4 and the heel portion 5.

The lower face of the body l defines in a flattened forward tread face 1 located so that it will be beneath the ball of the foot of the'wearer and a flattened rearward tread face 8 located so that it will be beneath the heel of the foot of the wearer. also defines the breast 9 of the heel 6 and defines an inclined plane o extending from the top of the breast 9 of the heel to the bottom of the rear edge of the forward tread face 1. The .lower surface of the body l further defines a rocking surface ll between the forward edge of the forward tread face 'I and the toe 3 of the body l of the foot gear. This rocking surface con- Verges toward the upper surface 2 of the patten.

The forward tread 'I and rearward tread 8 preferably define a plane surface so as to afford stability to the wearer when the wearer is in a standing position. The rocking surface ll is located between the forward edge of the tread 'i and the toe 3 of the foot gear so as to give the foot of the wearer a rocking motion when the wearer engages in an activity such as walking. This rocking motion enables the wearerto overcome the usual stilted walk so common in most foot gear having rigid soles. The con figuration of the rocking surface ll used in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, both inclusive is such that the face of the rocking surface defines a straight line on every line of transverse cross-section, and defines a convex line on every line of longitudinal section. The straight lines defined by transverse cross sections give the foot of the wearer lateral stability and the convex lines defined by the longitudinal sections afiord a very fluid rocking motion when the wearer engages in such activities as walking.

Fur-ther comfort to the wearer is provided by shaping the upper foot supporting surface 2 so as to incorporate two saucer-like depressions z and !3. the foot of the wearer and the saucer-like depression |3 is associated with the ball of the foot of the wearer and in addition, particularly when the foot of the wearer is bare, afford a degree of suction between the foot of the wearer and the upper surface of the foot gear which tends to prevent undo slippage.

Further comfort is aiforded through the provision of a dead air space I 4 in the body I of the foot gear. This dead air space lightens the foot gear considerably and in addition improves the insulation properties of the foot gear so as to avoid excess weight and to reduce discom- The lower face of the body I' The depression !2 is associated with,

fort from extreme temperature conditions in the surface upon which the wearer is walking or standing.

A suitable strap I is provided to secure the foot gear to the foot of the wearer. 5 The other species is depicted in Figs. 5 and 6. The reference numerais l to [5 both inclusive annexed to these two figures correspond generally to the numbers 1 to 15 affixedtov Figs. 1 to 4, both inclusiizee with-,u the; foliowing differentiaz 10 tions: Wri'ereas the*rocking surface* ll in' the 'species iliustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, both inclusive is defined by a straight line in transverse cross-sec tion and by a convex line in iongitudinal section, the rocking surface H of the embodiment iliustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 is definedbya-straight" line in both sections and comprises asimple ;ma clined plane. The second difi'erentiationiies in the construction of the dead air space M of thespecies iliustrated in Figs; 1 to 4, both inciusive. n tead ofus n this'dead-.aimpaeeathes-specie& il'listatedrin-Eg: 5 ;and-,6 aincorporatestwo tunhelm-;bath designatedi ME; which extend 'the entirewidthofzthe foot gear; Itwiii be ;quite apparentithat theseatunneistructures.have a certai-nsadegree ofnlighteningi and-;insulating proper-tiesg'butthat themarewnot as efiective as the deadrairspace l5 .of :Figs: ato'4 .both inclusive. nervin-;also be apparent: thattunnels 'such as M abe;moreeasiiy incorporated into foot gear than sther deada n space: !4:1

7': and; iiiustrateatheeoperation of. the riacesgo both-;speciespf:my;disc1osure: I1 3Fg1.7`"tih8ShQSg iilustrated; With:: both ,the forward and rearward tread faces in contact with 3: a.: waikineesnriace, .sn hasewhentheewearer; is 13:13!? 8;; thwearez:sis depictedtak: inggaestep fqrwazd-showing gthe rocking asurface iran an qlian samaycb mad inrthe;formnconstruce 10 ticneacdsarrane m xxi-'oithe parts without pathg frcmzthe piritsofthe;sinvention, andthe ri htzisheebwreserved tcamake ali such: changes esz fairlxfam thir the scpp-: e ol o i Themventign is heneby -ciaimed: asfol-j laws: i

I claim:

A patten comprising a bottom member and a top member. the bottom member being formed of a sheet of molded thermo-setting plastic material and being provided with a peripheral upturned edge, the lower face of the bottom member being formed with a flattened forward tread face, a flattened rearward tread face, a heel forming breast forward of the, rearwardtread face, andrarr.inclinedspianeebetween tIIe breast and the forwardtread' face to defie'a hee1`and toe portion, and the lower face of said bottom member being further formed with a rocking surface forward of the forward edge of the forward tread face, saidrocking surface defining a straight line on every line of transverse cross section and a COHYGXlIIEOIGYBY; line of iongitudinai section, andthetop member of said patten being formed ofa'sheet of molded thermo-plastic material and being provided with ai. perpheral downturned edge; azsaucer iike-depressiomadapted'.to fiti the heel 'of 'thewearer andz azsecondsaucerz like des-- pression adapted.. to; fitz the "ball of therfoot i of; the wearer, the upturnededgezof the lewemnem ber and the downturned sedgeofthe upper member being teiescopicaliy arranged and secured and strap means .to secure th'epatten to tthe foot of -'the wearer,

J OHN LV': BENERIDGE;

REEER'ENGES CIT- ED The' foliowing references are ofjrecord'in the file of this-patent:-

UNITED'. S'ITA'I'ESLPA'ITENISI Number- Namez Dete:

1,48 6:6303 B'rnett 11,. 15124` 2,176,570 Grossman 0017117., .19.39; 2,381,389 Ries ingun Aug.: 7 ,19.45 2395367? Sutciifi- Feb:; 426,; 1946: %46653373 OTHER" REFERENCES American Shoemaking December: 6,: 1939, na 9 

